Twitter Tipping Point

The term "tipping point" has certainly entered our modern-day discourse with great gusto, and it can refer to anything from climate tipping points to the seemingly sudden widespread coolness of things like PBR and Hush Puppy shoes, as Malcolm Gladwell noted in his book The Tipping Point, which deconstructs the breaking point for social epidemics.

Add my Twitter account to the latest tipping point phenomena. About a week ago, I had 50, 60, maybe 70 or so followers, people who for some reason have decided they want to hear what I have to say, perhaps multiple times a day, in 140-character snippets. I've at least doubled that number in the last few days after adding my name to a sort of list serv of Society of Environmental Journalists. Now every green, eco-conscious writer, PR professional and spamming love goddess wants to join my virtual cult.

I feel empowered. I feel ... overwhelmed.

Part of this game, as I understand it, is to at least consider following a follower, in some sort of all-inclusive game of leap frog. Yet my inbox is quickly filling in with new acolytes. Who do I follow? How many different "green" headlines do I really need to see? How many can I, in reality, ever see, as the hits come faster and faster. Look away and 30 or 40 souls have cried out into the virtual void, seeking to make their voice count in the most disjointed, ephemeral conversation ever undertaken.

On the other hand, I am getting more RTs and #FFs ... what more can one ask in virtual life?

Comment with Caution

I've certainly adopted the attitude of "if you can't win, join them" when it comes to the new media revolution. I blog (with less-than-stellar regularity) and twitter (who doesn't have time for a 140-character tweet now and then), Facebook and Digg (are these all verbs now?). I even find myself scrolling down to the bottom of real news stories to see what other readers think of this or that story, and once in a while add my own two-cents to these transient, much-ado-about-nothing debates.

I've found that some of these people are really, really stupid. And these so-called debates are really just ways to vent and rage. (That's what blogs and right-wing radio talk shows are for.)

Find any weather story about a cold snap or maybe a spate of rainstorms, like we've had in Denver over the last few weeks. Scroll down to the comments. Invariably, there some moron who interjects that such and such an event just goes to show you that global warming and climate change are bunk, some sort of leftist (and, now, Obama) conspiracy to steal tax dollars. For what purpose? It's never really clear. Maybe so GOP, Bible-wielding politicians like Gov. Sanford can go bang hot South American chicks on the public teat. Mmmm ... South American teats ...

Seriously, weather and climate are two different topics, but there's no convincing some people. I just hope these people have luxury homes on the Florida coast.